The prosecution at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Tuesday concluded placing their arguments in the trial of ATM Azharul Islam, pleading death sentence to assistant secretary general of Jamaat by terming him as a sheer beast in the shape of a human being during the Liberation War in 1971. The prosecution also pleaded for arranging compensation to the first prosecution witness (PW), Monsura Khatun, who was confined at the Rangpur Town Hall camp run by Pakistan army in 1971 and was raped for 19 days resulting in miscarriage. Prosecutor Tureen Afroz placed arguments on legal points concentrating mostly on charge number 5, which is for abetting and facilitating the rape of Monsura.
Terming it as a ‘rape camp’ the prosecutor added that Rangpur Town Hall was one of the many camps that were raised and run by the anti-liberation forces in 1971.
“Azhar helped the Pakistani occupation army to abduct and confine women in that camp, who were later treated as sex slaves. The person, who can facilitate such crimes in a rape camp, cannot be called anything other than an animal. It reveals his wicked mentality,” Tureen said.
Replying to a question of the tribunal on whether there was any opportunity in the conventional law to provide compensation to the victim, Dr Tureen said, “The accused may be ordered to pay adequate compensation to PW-1 for the social dishonor, ostracism and isolation the victim had to suffer for his heinous act of 1971. And if the tribunal can provide her protection under witness protection act, it will be able to give direction on giving her compensation as well.”
Referring to many cases from abroad, the prosecutor also argued on points like duty to rescue and failure to provide assistance.
“He was in the position to rescue the victims or to provide assistance to them. He knew all the teachers of the Rangpur Carmichael College, but he did not rescue them, rather identified them to Pakistani army for abducting, torturing and subsequently killing them. He created hazardous situation for the victims,” she added.
Meanwhile, the tribunal adjourned the hearing till tomorrow, shunning a plea from the defence to give them one-week time for preparation.
A total of 19 witnesses, including the investigation officer, testified against Azhar. Of them, the prosecution declared their 7th witness hostile. On the other hand, the defence produced one Anwarul Haque, a distant relative of Azhar, as their sole defence witness and exhibited their defence documents through him. The ICT-1 on November 12, 2013, indicted Azhar for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.
